Are these pewter?

[usmc0811]

260203
Only thing they260203they say is made in China. I can get them here in town for $5 but dont want to wast my time and money on fake stuff.

[Greg S]

Any hallmarks on bottom. Soft? Do your hear crinkle ng when it is bent?

[usmc0811]

Any hallmarks on bottom. Soft? Do your hear crinkle ng when it is bent?
I havent seen it in person yet only pictures. The lady said there is no markings just a sticker that days made in China. She said she "knows"pewter and that it's real. Yeah she will say whatever to make a sale.

[JimB..]

I would say no. I had some steiff picture frames that looked like they might be, but the metal was too brittle. I’d pass.

[kevin c]

Outside of Malaysia and Indonesia, little pewter is made in Asia.

Being at least an order of magnitude more expensive than stainless or aluminum, the other common metals encountered, modern makers of pewter ware, like those using sterling silver, usually mark their work with the content, justifying the higher price of the item.

IOW, look for items that are marked with the word "pewter" or its equivalent in other languages (zinn [german], estano [Spanish], peltro [Italian], tenn or tinn [Swedish or Norwegian]). Pewter from many foreign producers is often marked in English for export.

[00buck]

I would say no
From China
No hallmark
Doesn’t “say” pewter
I’d pass

[usmc0811]

Ok thanks guys you saved me a trip and some $. The hunt goes on.....

[kevin c]

In person, another clue on pewter picture frames is that they generally don't have any screws. Stands on the back are hinged, with each side of the hinge welded to the support and body, and the glass and backing for the picture slide in or are held by small pins rather than tabs that use screws.

As pointed out, pewter scratches easily and bends without spring back versus other "white metal" frames that are harder and/or more brittle. Of course, if you break or mar it, you've bought it, so be careful on that kind of testing.

Anyway, until you handle enough pewter to ID it easily, going for only items stamped as such is the safest route. Oh, and be wary if an item is described as having a pewter "color" or "finish". Those are, politely put, "misleading" descriptions that say nothing of what the item is made of. Almost all the time modern era pewter is stamped as such because it's an indication of quality and value. Fortunately for casters, it's out of style now and gets sold out of thrifts and estate sales at a fraction of the cost of the metal content, in such beat up condition that it has no artistic value, and of such recent make (colonial era reproductions were a thing in the middle of the last century and later) that collectors aren't interested.

[dimaprok]

99% certain it's not pewter, I've seen similar stuff in thrift stores, I believe it's some aluminum alloy and has some lacquer coating that makes it shine. Pewter is typically dull, if I can scratch it and leave a mark in the back I know it's pewter.

[lightman]

, estano [Spanish], peltro [Italian], tenn or tinn [Swedish or Norwegian]). Pewter from many foreign producers is often marked in English for export.

Thanks for this! I did not know about some of those other words.

[Hairy Dawg]

I had a Christmas candle holder piece that I picked up that was made in China. I had BNE test it for me, and it turned out to be pewter.

[kevin c]

I stand corrected! Was it marked?